FORT PIERCE, Fla. --
A St. Lucie County firefighter and another man are accused of illegally catching an alligator after a woman stepped on the reptile's snout.
Donald Herchenroder and Peter Berger were arrested on felony charges of unlawful taking of an alligator.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers said the men caught the gator last month.
According to the arrest report, the gator bit an 18-year-old woman on the foot. Berger said she stepped on the gator's snout so they get the hook out of its mouth when the gator snapped.
A witness saw the incident and alerted authorities.
Herchenroder, who has been with the St. Lucie County Fire District since 2006, has been reassigned to administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
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